PORTLAND, TN—ABB Installation Products is making a multimillion-dollar investment this year and staffing up to 40 new positions as it expands and updates its manufacturing facility here to meet increased demand for electrical equipment.

New automated equipment, ABB robotics technology and more than 35,000 square feet of building improvements will help boost production capacity of the 200,000 square-foot site by more than 20 percent. The facility manufactures Carlon electrical boxes and fittings used in homes and buildings worldwide.

The facility is the largest manufacturer of electrical junction boxes in North America and also produces millions of parts and PVC fittings each week under the Carlon brand name used by retailers and contractors for lighting, outlets and wiring. The manufacturing facility enhancements, including the installation of additional production lines and injection molding technology, are expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter this year.

“The average home has more than 100 electrical boxes, and the Carlon and ABB products we make are some of the most requested by contractors, retailers and their customers,” says ABB Portland general manager Keith Lang. “This investment enables us to add new teams and shifts with advanced manufacturing capabilities to improve safety and ergonomics, quality, and increase the speed of production and delivery of critical items to our customers.”

Opened in 1990, the facility currently has more than 300 employees, with plans to add up to 40 new full-time workers.